Early Days (of a better nation) – Photo: Ryoko Uyama
When: 21st April – 14th May 2015
Where: Across the UK (see below)
£: Ticket prices vary depending on the venue
What is it?
One of the UK’s most enigmatic theatre companies will be touring Scotland, England and Northern Ireland, around the time of the General Election, with a performance where the audience has the chance to govern their own nation. Early Days (of a better nation), which runs from 21st April to 14th May, promises to be a fully interactive, playful and passionate performance.
Coney‘s Early Days (of a better nation) will allow audiences across the UK take the role of the last surviving members of a society ravaged by war. Staged as we make our real-life decisions on a new government this year, the performance is inspired by the 2011 UK riots, the Arab spring, Iceland’s crowd-sourced constitution and the rise (and fall) of Occupy. With the rules of a new society in their hands, the audience must decide how they will run their new nation and how to avoid the mistakes of the past, exploring the possibilities of nationhood and democracy.
At the heart of Early Days (of a better nation) are two major questions. If people could start again from scratch, what sort of nation would they build? And can a piece of immersive theatre change people’s minds about politics?
As the UK’s political parties take to the campaign trail, so too will Coney; to inspire, encourage and gather reaction from across the country as they blur the line between performance and our real-life choices. Early Days has been developed through testing and research into game mechanics, economic systems and narrative. The process has been supported by a host of both academic institutes and arts organisations, with partners including Birkbeck University, the Cultural Institute at Kings College London, National Theatre Wales, BAC, and Warwick Arts Centre.
Coney are interactive theatre-makers, who weave together theatre and game design to create dynamic shows and experiences in a wide variety of settings; theatres, schools, museums, on the streets and online. Guided by principles of curiosity, adventure and loveliness, the company places audiences at the heart of their work; co-creating performances within the stories and worlds designed by the company.
The audience decide in Early Days (of a better nation).
Early Days (of a better nation) will tour the following places:
- 21st – 25th April at Battersea Arts Centre, Lavender Hill, London SW11 5TN. Tickets cost £12 and £9 for concessions (Please note: Due to a fire at BAC, a venue is tbc).
- 28th – 29th April at The Arches, 253 Argyle Street, Glasgow G2 8DL. Tickets cost £14 and £10 for concessions.
- 1st – 2nd May at MAC, 10 Exchange Street West, Belfast BT1 2NJ. Tickets cost £12.
- 5th – 6th May at The Point, Leigh Road, Eastleigh, Hampshire S050 9DE. Tickets cost £12.
- 8th May at the Unity Theatre, 1 Hope Place, Liverpool L1 9BG. Tickets cost £12 and £10 for concessions.
- 12th – 14th May at Warwick Arts Centre, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL. Tickets cost £11, £9 for concessions, under 26 £8, and Warwick students £5.50.
More info: coneyhq.org and www.facebook.com/coneyhq